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TKR Acceptance and Understanding<

Yes @Jockette ... You are very kind. Thank you for your happy and positive replies. Bless you pretty Lady.
 
Hang in there... a good attitude is a big help I think in the healing process!! But it’s hard to stay positive when you have pain and issues that bring you down!
It’s baby steps and resting elevating and icing are the clue!!! It takes a while for the bruising and swelling to go away!!
Things should make a turn for you...you had added surgery with tendons and other repairs...
Wishing
You all the Best and praying the pain goes away!!!

SusieB
 
Time has gone by since my LTKR.... For some reason I thought it’s been more like 2 months but I checked the calendar today and honestly, I couldn’t believe it’s only been 5 1/2 almost 6 weeks! I don’t know what I was thinking or expecting in such a short time span. I must have brain fog or something.
 
Yes your 6 week old knee is still a baby. Hopefully today you’ve been able to rest, ice and elevate after an exciting and tiring day yesterday.
 
Had PT yesterday, today I can feel it so ice/elevate are the activities for today. Tomorrow PT again It’s a love/hate relationship. I think I’m improving with strength because I haven’t needed my cane and the buckling has halted. I’m going up and down stairs normal way but definitely need the handrail or it wouldn’t be possible. And it’s slow going with a bit of effort. Six weeks today but feels like 6 months for new left knee. Right knee could be farther along in recovery which aggravates me because if my left didn’t poop out, my right leg strength would be normal. Normal Life is still on hold for now. Errrrrrr! This is just taking too long. It drives me crazy. And.... I need Sleep!
 
@Needhope - I think you could cut back your PT now, to just once a week. Your knees are doing well, but you do tend to overwork them. Less PT and more rest would be my prescription.
Yes, I know you find it hard to rest, but that is what your nees need. If you can do it, it will be a wise investment in an easier recovery.

Can you find a new hobby that you can do while you're resting? Something to keep your mind occupied?

If you're not sleeping well at night yet, do take daytime naps. Don't make the mistake of trying to stay awake during the daytime, thinking you will sleep better at night. It doesn't seem to work like that.
 
Oh @Celle ..... I try so hard to daytime nap. Actually, that used to be my favorite pastime after work before my knee issues. Not possible with dogs barking with a pin drop. You paint a very nice picture that I wish I could jump into. I may need to have conversation with PT though and go to one day a week. I’m thinking I should join a gym, it would definitely be more cost effective.
 
Oh Needhope, do you hear yourself?

In one breath you agree with Celle about cutting PT to once a week, because you overwork yourself, and in the next you talk about joining a gym.
:doh:

It is tooooooo early for you to join a gym. You are 6 weeks post op and your first knee still needs to finish healing.

What are we going to do with you? :console2:
 
Needhope said:
I’m thinking I should join a gym, it would definitely be more cost effective.
Click to expand...
Forget the gym! You don't need exercise. You need to stop doing so much.

Your knee knows what it's doing and your ROM is going to come all by itself, if you just give it time, and stop upsetting it by trying to do too much.

I know you're trying to do your best, but you're trying too hard. Knee replacement recovery is a situation where you just have to sit back and let it happen.

As for taking naps, Is there anyone who could take the dogs out for a couple of hours, so you get some peace?
Shut yourself in your bedroom and announce that you will be out of action for 2 hours and are not to be disturbed for anything - except a house fire :heehee:. Or use the money you will be saving by not going to PT, to put the dogs in kennels for a couple of days, so you can get some rest.
 
Buy some sponge earplugs, and a 'sound machine' that will drown out outside noises. You really need your sleep.
 
Ohhhh ladies..... I’m just beside myself. I don’t know what to do with myself anymore. I want this knee nightmare to end. I’m an inpatient person, high anxiety, and get bored easily. I’m also a habitual worrier, that will never change about me it’s always been this way. Still waiting for the letter from short term disability company to see if my leave has been extended beyond the 8 weeks they had approved. Sooo seeee.... It’s a vicious cycle I live in. I’m just glad I only have 2 knees. Ugh.
 
@Needhope your knee nightmare will end. Eventually. You can't be impatient on this journey, we all want the nightmare to end but you can't rush it. I do think 8 weeks isn't enough leave though, where i work 12 weeks is the minimum luckily.
 
Needhope said:
I’m just glad I only have 2 knees. Ugh.
Click to expand...
I agree, it’s a good thing we only have 2 knees.
Needhope said:
I’m also a habitual worrier, that will never change about me it’s always been this way.
Click to expand...
I understand this, too. Some things about ourselves are just not going to change no matter how much we want them to.

Knee replacement is a lot like those things in our personality. It has its own agenda and we can’t change it no matter how much we want to.
 
Needhope said:
I’m just glad I only have 2 knees.
Click to expand...

Same here. Imagine if we were centipedes! :yikes: Given that my family ALL has replaced knees, I'd be having TKRs forever.

TKR recovery is difficult for an active, on the go type of person with no patience for sitting still. You pretty much have to make healing your knee your job. An active job. Your job is to rest. Your job is to sit still. Your job is to plan out this recovery in a way that makes sure you don't over-exercise or try to do too much too soon. It might help to approach the remainder of your recovery this way... because you are getting to the point where you will be moving around more and doing more things.

Your challenge is to keep your recovery on track. Work with your knee. You will soon see the other side within reach.
 
@hopalong61 its only been 6 weeks for me and they seriously expect me back to work next week. That’s unreasonable and unrealistic. Gosh, I can’t imagine if I have to go back! I won’t be able to do it. Factory worker on my feet on concrete. I was lucky to have been a stay at home mom in my younger years, non college educated, had odd nighttime jobs as well as being a lunch lady, restaurant server, then factory worker. I’m seriously very scared about my financial future. I’m divorced 11 years now. I have no source of income other than my own. What am I going to do? Panic mode is starting to kick in. I have nothing to offer new employers at my age and now my knees conditions. My expectations for my new knees were put too high by myself. Geez I want normal soooo badly.
 
@Needhope it is 100% unreasonable that they expect you back so quickly ! I understand your worries as i'm a single parent and my income is the only money coming into my house too. I'm lucky that i can take 6 months full paid leave before my salary would be reduced to 65% but i worried too when i had to go for my MUA as i'd already been off for two months at that stage. Is there anyone at work you can speak to about it ? Can your doctor write a note for you to give to your employer ? In the UK we have whats called a "fit note" system where the doctor can sign you off work for a specified time. Could you go back and do a different job temporarily where you aren't on your feet all day, or work part time for a while ? It must be incredibly worrying for you but i don't think you can do anything about it really as there is no rushing your recovery is there ? I truly hope you recover quickly xx
 
I would definitely hold off on the gym. It’s too early for strength work and will only cause more pain and swelling. Can your OS write a script for more time off? My OS wrote a script saying I needed to work part tim time for 6 weeks. My employer followed the script and it was a nice transition back for me at 12 weeks.
 
I went through this same scenario after my first TKR. Employer wasn’t too accommodating. I went back with restrictions and then less than month later was told by them they couldn’t have me working there in my condition. That’s when I was handed short term disability papers by them and told I needed to do something about my left knee. I was asked to leave before the work day ended. As far as I know, I still have a job, but I don’t know what may transpire if I cannot get extra STD pay and time. I anxiously await the letter to find out if I report back to work next week or I’m granted more time to recover. I’m fearful of what’s going to happen.
 
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